Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-07-27
Interesting Figures.
HOW THE CLEVELAND ADMINISTRATION
:. HAS PROTECTED THE SOLDIERS
Is = INTERESTS, -

l Ao" AAA@s SLENELAND ADNINlSTkAIlO!
! HAS PROTECTED THE SOLDIERS
| q INTERESTS.
Especial Dispatch'to the Baltimore SUM-
| WAsHINGToN, July 17.-in the light o
the recent, battle flags and st. Louis epis
odes, ana the conduct of censorious organ
IN their unpatrioth- efforts to array thu
Grand army OF the Republic in hostility
to the President, growing out of his vetoei
OF private pension acts, the following speei
men veto, one OF many similar cases il
which the PRESIDENT interposes his objec
tion, not against, but in favor of the sol
der, VIII prove an interesting case in point.
In his veto OF Senate bill No. 1877, Forty.
ninth Congress, first session, directing the
Secretary OF the Interior to place upon the
pension rolls NeWcomb Parker, late of COM
pany Z. Eleventh Regiment Vermont
Volunteers, the President said: s'To the
Senate hereby return without approval
Senate bill No. 1077, entitled an act grant
| ing a pension to Newoomb Parker. The
| claimant filed an application for pension in
the year 1880, before the passage of the
bill herewith returned. The commissioner
OF pension, in ignorance of the &C tof Con-
gress, allowed the claim under the general
law. As this decision of the pension bureau
entities the beneficiary named to draw PEN
sion from the date Of filing his application,
which under the provisions of the special
act in his favor would only accrue from the
time Of its passage, am unwilling that one
found worthy to be placed upon the pension
rolls by the bureau to which he properly
applied should be the actual loser BY reason
of special inteIposition of Congressin his
behalf" Signed Grover Cleveland, Execu-
tive Mansion, June 90, 1886. Parker under
the general laws was entitled to a pension
from the date of his discharge, February
16, 1864, and the Presidents veto saved
him pension for twenty-five years four
months and eighteen days, or $1,074 more
than he would have received had the Presi-
dent approved the special act. Unprincip-
led organs have sought to compromise the
Grand Army of the Republic and put it in
the position of the left wing of the republi-
can party. In marked contrast is the
Presidents dignified and courageous course
in the patriotic discharge of his duties to
the infammatory appeals of his rancorous
detractors who unfortunately abuse the
positions they hold high in the councils of
the Grand Army of the Republic. Their
example has inspired ill-advised followers
in the recent movement to insult the Chief
Magistrate of the nation, As a further
earnest that the President is in harmony
with the loyal sentiment of the country and
not in conflict with the G. A. r. or soldiers
interests, the following figures, obtained
from official sources, show record un-
watched in the history of pension legislation.
During Grants first administration 231
special acts were approved. During his
second. 254 Hayes approved 309 special
acts. During Garfield and Arthurs ad-
ministratiOn 736 were approved, and in the
first two years of President Cleveland's s ad-
ministration he approved S63. or 275 per
cent. more than during Grants first term,
24O Per cent. more than during Grants Sec
ond term, and nearly double the number,
or 100 per cent more than in Grants two
terms. President Cleveland has approved
1873 per cent. more than Hayes, and over II
per cent. more than Garfield and Arthur
combined. As still further manifestation
of the attitude of the present democratic
administration toward to Union soldiers,
the pay-rolls of the pension office alone, a
bureau more closely connected with the
soldiers of the country than any other,
show that out of 1881 employees, 631 or 81
per cent. are either soldiers or sailors
widows, soDs or daughters, while only 700
are civilians, most of whom occupy the mi
nor positions, as messengers, watchmen,
etc. Three hundred and seventy soldiers
of their kindred occupy the higher positions,
paying twelve hundred dollars and up
wards, against 292 civilians, a difference in
favor of the soldier of nearly 81 per cent.
Out of 416 appointments made by General
Black from March II, 1885, to June 80. 1887,
$50 were soldiers or soldiers kindred, and
1856 were civilians, net difference in favor
of the soldier of A, or nearly "a per cent.
Fifteen out of the Is United States pension
agents, receiving salary of four thousand
dollars per annum, are among the number
of ex-Union soldiers appointed, and one is
the widow of brave General Mulligan, whose
fame is associated with the battle of Lex
ington, Missouri. The only two who hold
over from previous administrations are dis
tinguished ex-Union soldiers who have been
severely wounded. General Black has ap-
pointed 80 ex-Union soldiers in excess of
the total number dropped FROM the rolls by
death, discharge, resignation Or otherwise,
and this, with 150 employees less than were
on the rolls during the last fiscal year of
the previous administration, would make a
net difference in favor of the soldier in the
matter of appointments of 179, which, upon
the basis of the total number upon the pay
rolls the last fiscal year would leave at pres
ent almost IL per cent. more soldiers, sailors
or their widows and kindred than were ever
upon its pay-rolls in the history of the Of
flee. 1t would not seem that the first demo-
cratic administration since the war had
neglected the soldier interests 80 far as
concerns the pension bureau, closely asso-
ciated with their welfare, and to the head
of which the appointment of General John
G. Black has been peculiarly felicitous.
These wards of a grateful country have no
warmer, truer friend than General Black
himself. A MANNED and gallant soldier, he
deserves the fullest measure of soldiers
gratitude. By the introduction of sound
business principles into the management of
his bureau more pensions have been issued
and the execution of the pension laws has
been fuller, more prompt and more i'm
partial than in any other former admins
tration. For the first time in the history of
the government the case of every applicant
is either disposed of OF actually undergoing
consideration.